The melting aluminum portion of the meter then cracked and began leaking gas, he said.

“All the other parts of that system are made of steel,” he said.

Firefighters used water to cool the house’s eaves, fence and stucco exterior, keeping the fire from spreading to the garage and the rest of the house. Fire personnel then used water from the hose line to shield a firefighter from the burning gas while he got close enough to shut off the gas flow.

“They lost part of the eaves of the house, and it scorched the stucco of the house,” Hauducoeur said.

No one was injured, he said.

Although the burning gas meter did most of the damage to the house, firefighters believe the fire actually started in a nearby trash can, with the fire from the can compromising the meter, causing the leak and accelerating the fire.

The County Fire Department warns residents using fireplaces and fire pits to allow ashes to cool for 12 to 24 hours in a metal can or to soak them thoroughly with water before placing them in a trash can. Although they’ve been unable to confirm their suspicions, firefighters suspect hot ashes may have led to the fire Sunday morning.

“According to the occupants of the house, they had cooled and watered the ashes for about five hours before putting it in the trash can,” Hauducoeur said.

About the Author

Beau Yarbrough covers education and politics for The Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Reach the author at Beau.Yarbrough@langnews.com
or follow Beau on Twitter: @lby3.